Grassland biomass balance in the European Alps: current and future ecosystem service perspectives

Jäger, Hieronymus; Peratoner, G.; Tappeiner, Ulrike; Tasser, Erich

doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101163

Cited by 50 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Large declines were only registered in boreal seminatural grasslands (1960-2015, −49.1%; [14]. While we have not specifically assessed the environmental implications of grassland decline for the Iberian mountains, the literature shows that biodiversity can decrease [47] either through abandonment or intensification of practices in the remaining grasslands, increased wildfire proneness and extreme events [48], natural encroachment of cultural heritage [49], alternations in the biomass balance affecting cattle diet [50] and reductions in national food security [51].…”

Section: Progress In the Conservation Of Mountain Grasslands In Southern Europe By 2020mentioning

confidence: 97%

Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)

et al. 2021

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Conservation and policy agendas, such as the European Biodiversity strategy, Aichi biodiversity (target 5) and Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), are overlooking the progress made in mountain grassland cover conservation by 2020, which has significant socio-ecological implications to Europe. However, because the existing data near 2020 is scarce, the shifting character of mountain grasslands remains poorly characterized, and even less is known about the conservation outcomes because of different governance regimes and map uncertainty. Our study used Landsat satellite imagery over a transboundary mountain region in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Peneda-Gerês) to shed light on these aspects. Supervised classifications with a multiple classifier ensemble approach (MCE) were performed, with post classification comparison of maps established and bias-corrected to identify the trajectory in grassland cover, including protected and unprotected governance regimes. By analysing class-allocation (Shannon entropy), creating 95% confidence intervals for the area estimates, and evaluating the class-allocation thematic accuracy relationship, we characterized uncertainty in the findings. The bias-corrected estimates suggest that the positive progress claimed internationally by 2020 was not achieved. Our null hypothesis to declare a positive progress (at least equality in the proportion of grassland cover of 2019 and 2002) was rejected (X2 = 1972.1, df = 1, p < 0.001). The majority of grassland cover remained stable (67.1 ± 10.1 relative to 2002), but loss (−32.8 ± 7.1% relative to 2002 grasslands cover) overcame gain areas (+11.4 ± 6.6%), indicating net loss as the prevailing pattern over the transboundary study area (−21.4%). This feature prevailed at all extents of analysis (lowlands, −22.9%; mountains, −17.9%; mountains protected, −14.4%; mountains unprotected, −19.7%). The results also evidenced that mountain protected governance regimes experienced a lower decline in grassland extent compared to unprotected. Shannon entropy values were also significantly lower in correctly classified validation sites (z = −5.69, p = 0.0001, n = 708) suggesting a relationship between the quality of pixel assignment and thematic accuracy. We therefore encourage a post-2020 conservation and policy action to safeguard mountain grasslands by enhancing the role of protected governance regimes. To reduce uncertainty, grassland gain mapping requires additional remote sensing research to find the most adequate spatial and temporal data resolution to retrieve this process.

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Section: Progress In the Conservation Of Mountain Grasslands In Southern Europe By 2020mentioning

confidence: 97%

Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)

et al. 2021

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“…Quantification of the potential yields was calculated via yield functions based on the length of the growing season. Yields were refined according to site parameters such as precipitation during the growing season and solar radiation (for more details, see Jäger et al 2020). In the second step, the grassland yield was derived from the production by considering feed quality in the form of metabolic energy content (megajoules MJ ME) and yield losses (for extensively used pastures and meadows: -53%; for intensively used meadows: -43%).…”

Section: Beef Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social-ecological resilience in remote mountain communities: toward a novel framework for an interdisciplinary investigation

Stotten¹,

Ambrosi²,

Tasser³

et al. 2021

E&S

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Globally, mountain areas are facing numerous social, economic, and ecological challenges. The interplay of natural and social factors makes them complex social-ecological systems. To investigate a mountain setting in the Austrian Alps, we developed the resilient livelihood framework (RLF), relying on the sustainable livelihood framework and integrating the community resilience and ecosystem services concepts. This novel RLF highlights the basic function of natural capital for economic, social, cultural, and political capital and displays the social valorization and demand of single-ecosystem services. The RLF serves to examine the social-ecological complexities with a set of drivers, capitals, livelihood strategies, and outcomes of two remote mountain villages, Obergurgl and Vent in the Upper Ötztal Valley (Tyrol, Austria). Here, qualitative and quantitative descriptions enable comprehensive insights into the complex interplay of the social and ecological spheres of both communities. Its output has been densified and calculated with a modified Shannon-Wiener Index that revealed a higher social-ecological resilience for the village of Vent than Obergurgl. The study bridges various disciplines and contributes to the theoretical and practical advancement of a resilience framework through the application to a case study site by combining ecological and sociological approaches. The application study can serve as a pilot for similar applications in remote mountain areas to support the decision making of local managers and stakeholders.

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“…With regard to different types of agricultural use, which are generally related to different levels of fertiliser input, species composition, and ecological processes, we distinguished four different types (i.e., crop production, permanent cultures, fertilised and unfertilised grassland). Further grassland types could be distinguished, e.g., hay meadows, with different levels of fertilisation and differently stocked pastures [73,74]. The same is true of different types of annual and permanent crops [75], but this was not considered in this work due to the lack of spatial information at the European level.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Ecosystem Services across Europe Due to Land-Use/Cover Changes

Schirpke

Tasser

2021

Sustainability

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The growing pressure on society due to global change requires better integration of ecosystem services (ES) into decision-making. Despite a growing number of ES assessments, Europe-wide information on recent changes of multiple ES is still rare. This study aimed at analysing changes in ES values between 2000 and 2018 across Europe based on land use/land cover (LULC) distribution. We mapped 19 ES for 52 ecoregions and identified six major groups of ecoregions with similar LULC distribution and trends. Our results indicated that provisioning ES mainly increased in the forest-dominated region (G2), decreasing in the near-natural grassland region (G1), the region with agricultural mixed systems (G3), and the intensively-used steppic region (G6). Regulating ES slightly decreased in G1 and G6, but increased in G2 and the wetland-dominated region (G5). Cultural ES had generally low negative trends for most ecoregions. In addition, our results revealed ecoregions with differing trends in ES that could be related to specific socioeconomic developments. Our findings provide spatial and quantitative information that can be used for policy development at European national and regional levels—as well as for monitoring of ES.

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Grassland biomass balance in the European Alps: current and future ecosystem service perspectives

Cited by 50 publications

References 54 publications

Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)

Progress in Grassland Cover Conservation in Southern European Mountains by 2020: A Transboundary Assessment in the Iberian Peninsula with Satellite Observations (2002–2019)

Social-ecological resilience in remote mountain communities: toward a novel framework for an interdisciplinary investigation

Trends in Ecosystem Services across Europe Due to Land-Use/Cover Changes

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